The prophet and author of the Revelation, who identifies himself as John, exiled on Patmos for his faith in Jesus, gives us this little picture of the prophetic task. The open scroll represents God’s message of rescuing justice which John is asked to announce. It is a universal message which will affect the peoples of the world and their rulers. That will make it dangerous.

The eating of the scroll is based on Ezekiel chapter 3, and identifies John with a great predecessor who found the message “sweet in his mouth.” Of course it should taste sweet as it speaks of the victory of God’s goodness. But it is sour in the stomach, according to John, because the goodness wins by way of the cross, which involves suffering for God’s people and perhaps especially for his prophets.

The victory of God’s goodness won through God’s presence in the crucified Jesus and in those who follow Him, is the central paradox of Revelation. It is a bitter/sweet story because evil is defeated by courageous suffering, which is only abolished when God wipes away all tears from all eyes.

victim or conqueror?

How will the terrorist organisation called Islamic State be defeated? If the USA and UK were to mount an operation of overwheming force to wipe it out, would that do the job? No it wouldn’t, for there would be a new generation of Islamic jihadists ready to take its place, convinced that only brutality could oppose the power of their infidel enemies. No, it is much more likely to be defeated by the example of those they have executed, the good people who have given their lives for humanitarian purposes or to report the facts of the conflict. Only the suffering of people who do not hate their enemies can have any effect on this kind of evil. That’s not to say we should not try to find ways of restraining them, but rather to highlight the way of Jesus as the only way that can expose this evil for what it is and overcome it. Now that’s a bitter/sweet message.Gospel

He taught in the Temple every day. The chief priests and the scribes, with the support of the leading citizens, tried to do away with him, but they did not see how they could carry this out because the people as a whole hung on his words.

This is Jesus’ most public takeover bid for leadership of his people. Prophets had looked forward to the day when the Lord would suddenly come back to his temple to establish justice. Luke’s Jesus is not careful to distinguish himself from God in his words about “my house”. Prophecies of God’s return of course were interpreted as meaning divine justice FOR Jewish people OVER their enemies. The justice was not meant to confront Jewish sins, as Jesus did.

El Greco

Jesus valued prayer. Luke records him as going to a lonely place to pray. Jesus’ Father delights in the conversation of his children. It is the corruption of that free relationship by commercial interests approved by the religious establishment, that led to Jesus’ forceful action. Gaining profit or power in the name of God was denounced by the prophets and by Jesus. His action in the temple is a permanent challenge to his church and especially to its salaried clergy like me.